¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß

The 2026 Three Minute Thesis final competition will be held Jan. 29, from 4 to 6 p.m.

What is the best way to distill a multitude of information into just three minutes?

That’s the question eleven graduate students will be wrestling with as part of the Graduate School’s ninth annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, which will be held in the University Memorial Center’s Glenn Miller Ballroom on Jan. 29, 2026, from 4 to 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, but .

This event challenges each student to explain their thesis to the general public. They are then evaluated by a panel of judges, which this year include Lori Bergen, dean of the College of Communication, Media, Design and Information; Sammy Ramsey or "Dr. Sammy," an assistant professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, a science communicator, and an international 3MT winner; Leopold Beuken, an assistant teaching professor in robotics and a former CU ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß 3MT finalist; and Aaron Brockett, the City of ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß mayor.

In the days leading up to the event, we’ll feature each of the competitors. Today’s is Laurie Lawson, a doctoral candidate in information science who researches collective memory discrepancy in English and Arabic on Wikipedia and in AI. Her 3MT presentation's title is, "'That’s Not How I Remember it' Investigating How Collective Memory is Lost in Translation."

If you had to describe your research in one sentence, what would you say?

When people speak different languages, they often pull from different information and perspectives that are isolated in that language and we can see that play out in digital platforms like Wikipedia and AI.Ìý

What do you feel is the significance of your research to the every day audience?

I think my research opens up a gray area. People often think that there is an objective fact to a story but more often than not they are actually dealing with a specific perspective. That perspective then changes between communities and individuals. We see this a lot in politics in America right now. If we can accept that there are more gray areas in more contexts, we can approach stories and events with more openness and this can address a lot of community level tensions.Ìý

What did you do before coming to CU ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß for graduate school?

I was studying computer science, physics and Arabic in undergrad (at Washington and Lee University).

What led you to pursue your doctoral degree in your field of study?

I was studying Peace and Conflict in Northern Ireland and the Middle East and realized that there were large narrative discrepancies between different communities. I came back and was talking to my advisor and she said that I either had to drop it or go to grad school. So here I am!Ìý

What is your favorite thing about the research you do?

I love putting math to social phenomenon such as behavior and communication.Ìý

What are your hobbies/what do you enjoy doing outside of your academic work?

I enjoy being a jack of all trades. I like to ski and rock climb but I’ve also recently gotten into knitting, sewing, and scrapbooking. Anything to take a break from my computer.Ìý

Tell us a random fact about yourself

I played golf in undergrad and have played golf across the world.Ìý